Oreo Dirt Cake is the perfect no bake dessert! With chocolate pudding, cream cheese filling, whipped cream and a cookie crust, it’s an irresistible dessert that puts a smile on everyone’s face. Creamy, cold and delicious, Oreo lovers can’t get enough of this easy dirt cake recipe!
Reasons to Make This Recipe
Sometimes you need a decadent chocolate dessert that doesn’t require firing up the oven. This Oreo Dirt Cake recipe is the answer.
- Oreo cookies in the crust and topping.
- Easy to make with instant pudding mix.
- Rich chocolate and vanilla flavor.
- No need to turn on the oven.
- Chill in the fridge or the freezer.
How to Make Oreo Dirt Cake
This is one of those fuss-free no bake recipes that I make over and over again during warm summer months. Kind of like my No Bake Banana Cream Pie Bars, Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding, Lemon Icebox Pie, Graham Cracker Eclair Cake and No Bake Icebox Cake.
It’s as easy as whipping up some pudding mix, combining it with a few more ingredients and letting it chill for a few hours. When it’s done you have a satisfyingly cool treat to dig into. It’s especially perfect on a warm summer day!
Dirt Cake Ingredients
Making a dirt cake is easy! The ingredients are simple and include packaged instant pudding mix, Oreo cookies, butter, milk, cream cheese, sugar and whipping cream. Full printable recipe is found below.
Steps To Making Oreo Dirt Cake
Making a Dirt Cake is quick and easy, and most of the time is hands off while the cake sets up in the fridge. To make this Oreo pudding dessert, pudding mixes and milk are combined and mixed.
Some of the cookies are then crushed, combined with melted butter, and the mixture is pressed into the baking dish. After that cream cheese is combined with sugar, which is then spread over the Oreo cookie crust.
Next, the pudding mixture is spooned on top of the cream cheese mixture. Finally the whipped cream is prepared and smoothed over the top of the pudding and finished off by sprinkling on the remaining crushed Oreo cookie pieces.
The Oreo Dirt Cake then chills for at least three hours prior to serving to allow it to set up. Full printable recipe is found below.
Tips & Tricks for a delicious Dirt Cake
- Make sure to use Instant Pudding Mix. Cook ‘n serve types of pudding will not work.
- Homemade whipped cream. The recipe uses heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar to make homemade whipped cream. Substitute with 8 ounces of Cool Whip if preferred.
- It’s important to bring cream cheese to room temperature. Before making Oreo Dirt Cake, let the cream cheese soften for a few minutes on the counter. It blends more evenly with the other ingredients when room temperature.
- Freezer option. If you choose to freeze your Oreo Dirt Cake with chocolate pudding, take it out of the freezer about 15 minutes before serving. This makes it soft enough to slice and eat!
Dirt Cake Variations
There are so many flavors and varieties of both pudding and Oreos that you can adapt this recipe to create a lot of different flavor combinations!
Pudding flavor ideas:
- White chocolate
- Dark chocolate
- Pistachio
- Cheesecake
- Butterscotch
Oreo flavor ideas:
- Peanut Butter Oreos
- Mint Oreos
- Birthday Cake Oreos
- Golden Oreos
Mix-in ideas:
- Chocolate chips
- M&Ms candies
- Chopped nuts
- Sprinkles
Mix and match different cookies, pudding flavors and mix ins to create your own unique dirt cake!
Recipe FAQs
Why is it called ‘dirt cake’?
The crushed Oreo cookies give this cake its name. The layer of dark brown on the bottom and top of this cake resembles dirt from the garden. Don’t worry–there’s nothing dirty about this cake!
Can I make this dessert ahead of time?
Yes, you can easily make this Oreo Cake 1-2 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If you do make it ahead, wait to put the crushed cookies on top until right before serving so they stay crunchy.
How long does dirt cake need to chill?
At the very minimum, Oreo Dirt Cake should chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. It’s delicious served cold straight from the fridge.
I only have unsalted butter. Can I still make this recipe?
Yes, unsalted butter can be used. I like the balance that salted butter gives to the sweetness of the dirt cake.
More Oreo Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Oreo Stuffed Cookies
- Andes Mint Brownies with Oreos
- Slutty Brownies
- Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
- Easy Chocolate Cream Pie
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Oreo Dirt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3.4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 30 Oreo cookies (or other chocolate sandwich cookies), divided
- 8 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 3 cups cold whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Lightly butter or spray a 8×8 inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to blend together the chocolate pudding mix, vanilla pudding mix, and cold milk until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Crush 20 of the cookies into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted butter over the cookies and use a fork to mix until well-combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish to form a crust.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the cream cheese and granulated sugar. Use a hand-held mixer to combine. Spread the mixture evenly over the cookie crust.
- Spread the pudding mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- In another medium mixing bowl add the whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar. Use a hand-held mixer to beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream mixture over the pudding layer.
- Crush the remaining 10 Oreo cookies and sprinkle them over the top of the dessert. Chill or freeze for 3 hours before cutting into squares and serving. *If you freeze the dessert, allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
Great for my big husband!!
Thank you
If I’m making enough for 40 servings, what size pan should I use ?
Personally I’d use multiple pans. I myself don’t own a pan that would accommodate 40 servings.
This is everything!
I made this last night and put it in the fridge. I just tried it and it is amazing! I will definitely be making this again.
This was EXCELLENT! My only (negative??) comment is that if you freeze the cake, give it a good hour before you try to slice it.. Looking forward to making again soon. Maybe next time will be with peanut butter and chocolate!
My husband LOVED this. Already made it twice!
Hi
Loved this, so easy, this will be great all summer!